Discrepancy mars data on Tamil Nadu’s off-take of foodgrains

Discrepancy in Tamil Nadu's rice and wheat off-take compared to allocation raises questions, officials deny exceeding limits.

Discrepancy seems to characterise the official data concerning Tamil Nadu’s off-take (drawal) of rice and wheat as compared to the State’s allocation, at least for the month of September. 

According to the foodgrains bulletin prepared by the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) in the Union government for September 2024 (which was hosted on the department’s website on October 11),  the off-take  figures for rice were 90,923 tonnes for the AAY (Antyodaya Anna Yojana - the poorest of the poor) category of beneficiaries and 2,92,766 tonnes for PHH (Priority Household) against the allocation of 62,622 tonnes and 1,43,203 tonnes respectively.  In terms of proportion, the off- take figures represented  145.19%  and 204.44% of allocations respectively. 

Likewise, in respect of wheat, the figures were 2,614 tonnes for AAY and 5,939 tonnes for PHH against the allocation of 2,609 tonnes and 5,967 tonnes. They constituted 100.18% and 99.54% respectively.  The issue  is not over the figures of allocation but in off-take. The two categories - AAY and PHH - have been covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), which stipulates that  AAY card holders are entitled to 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month and PHH cardholders, five kg per person per month.

Asked whether there was any specific reason for exceeding the allocated quantity for the two categories, officials of the State Food and Civil Supplies department deny the suggestion that the State has drawn beyond the allocation. In support of their claim, they cite the data, as provided under Integrated Management Public Distribution System (IMPDS) which also belongs to the DFPD.

According to the officials, the data reveal that the State’s off-take for rice and wheat for the two categories for September 2024 were within the norms.  As per the IMPDS, the figures for AAY and PHH in the case of rice were 60,736 tonnes (96.99% of allocation and 1,29,564 tonnes (90.48%). As regards wheat, the numbers were 475 tonnes  (18.21% of allocation) and 3,646 tonnes (61.10%) for AAY and PHH respectively.